Method of processing fruit



1947. R. L. EWALD ETAL 2,429,659

METHOD OF PROCESSING FRUIT Original Filed Oct. 31, 1940 19 Sheets-Sheetl INVENTORJS R. L. EWALD ETAL 2,420,659

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Wasln, assignors to Special Equipment Company, Portland, reg., acorporation of Oregon Original application October 31, 1940, Serial No.

Divided and this application Decem her 3, 1942, Serial No. 467,681

21 Claims. (Cl. 146-222) This invention relates to a method forprocessing fruit, and more particularly the invention relates to amethod for feeding, halving, peeling and pitting peaches and otherfruit, and particu larly clingstone peaches. The present invention is adivision of our copending application, Serial No. 363,596, entitledFruit treating machine, which became Patent No. 2,398,780 on April 23,1946.

The process of the present invention is illustrated, for purposes ofexemplification, by a single organized automatic machine adapted tohalve whole fruits, specifically peaches, wherein the peaches arepositioned therein one at a time, and wherein various steps of theprocess are carried out in the machine by automatic means adapted firmlyto hold each peach in precise position while the stern cavity thereof ispeeled, and during which Whole operation the peach is severed; andthereafter the severed halves are disposed into holding means which, inassociation with the pitting and peeling mechanism, is

7 adapted to peel and pit the peaches while they are held in saidhorizontal position; and thereafter the pitted and peeled half fruit isdischarged independently of the severed peel and/or the severed pit.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a, process forprocessing whole fruits whereby the whole fruits are initiallypositioned with their stem axes inclined angularly with respect to thehorizontal, during which time certain preliminary processing operationsare carried out upon the whole fruit, if desired, and thereafter thewhole fruits in such maintained position are then halved, and the twohalves are then each swung ninety degrees about a horizontal axis lyingparallel to the plane of severance through the half fruit, whereby toposition each half fruit with its cut face horizontal and with theprojections of the longitudinal stem axes of the two halves intersectingat approximately an angle of ninety degrees whereby the two halves withtheir cut faces uppermost and lying horizontal are sufiiciently spacedapart so that they can be independently acted upon by peeling and/orpitting or coring devices, if desired; to provide a process for holdingand handling whole fruitwhereby each whole fruit is initially positionedwith its stem axis inclined angularly to the horizontal, in whichposition the stem end is treated to remove the peeling therefrom andthereafter the Whole fruit is cut through a plane 7 thereof which isparallel and substantially coincides with the suture plane of the fruit,if it be,

for instance, a peach or similar fruit, and which plane is substantiallythrough the central portion of the fruit if the fruit be, for instance,a pear, and whereby two fruit halves are provided, and whereby saidfruit halves with their cut faces maintained in juxtaposition arepreferably shifted longitudinally and are thereafter swung, preferablysimultaneously, ninety degree about a horizontal axis lying parallel tothe plane of severance whereby to position each half fruit with its cutface horizontal and uppermost and spaced apart from each other, and withthe projections of the longitudinal stem axes of the half fruitsintersecting; yet another object of the invention resides in processinga whole peach which comprises the step of positioning the whole peachwith its stem axis inclined downwardly at a relatively acute angle tothe horizontal and in which position the peeling at the stem cavity isremoved and. thereafter the whole peach is halved by cutting actionwhich passes along a plane substantially coinciding with the sutureplane of the whole peach so as to provide two half peaches andthereafter such half peaches are held with their cut faces injuxtaposition and thereafter each half peach is swung approximatelyninety degrees about a horizontal axis lying parallel to the plane ofseverance whereby to position each half peach with its cut facehorizontal and with the projections of their longitudinal stem axesintersecting whereby further operations may be carried outsimultaneously or in sequence upon said half peaches and with relationto the prepositioned stem axes of each half peach; to provide these andother objects of invention as will be apparent from a perusal of thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of the machine from the pitting station.

Figure 2 is a plan section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. v

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 ure 1.

Figure dis a section on'the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure dis a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a section taken on the line 'l--'I of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 88 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Figure 10' is a; view similar to Figure 9 but of Fi

